Football: NHS banks on defense in victory vs. Venice

VENICE -- After weeks of high-octane offense, the Naples High

football team looked to the trenches for its latest win.

Danny Dunford capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive with his 9-yard

fourth quarter scramble for the game's only touchdown as the Golden

Eagles (12-1) beat Venice (9-4) 7-0 in the Class 5A Region 3 title

game.

Naples will go to the state semifinals for the third straight

season. The Golden Eagles will host Miami Edison next Friday for a

spot in the state title game in Gainesville. Edison beat McArthur,

48-15, on Friday.

The Eagles put the game away with its defensive line. After

Dunford scored, the Naples defense forced the Indians into a

three-and-out, then stalked Venice quarterback Scott Lane on the

Indians' final drive. Lane was hurried consistently and was forced

to throw his last two passes away.

Naples coach Bill Kramer credited defensive tackles Jimmy

Attilus and Christian Perez for dominating on the line.

"They don't make a lot of tackles," Kramer said. "But they force

the play so that the rest of the defense can make the tackles. I

thought it was going to be a heavyweight slugfest, and that's what

it was."

Perez said it wasn't easy controlling the line, as the Indians'

huge linemen gave the Eagles all they could handle. Perez called it

the most physical game he's played all season.

"All the hype and credit Venice was given coming into this game

was well-deserved," he said.

"They're big and strong and play hard, but we played just as

hard."

Both teams were effective in chewing up the clock in the first

half, but neither came out with anything to show for it.

Venice's game-opening drive went 13 plays and drained nearly six

minutes from the game clock, but gained a net of only five yards. A

pair of costly penalties and Cory Hogue's 8-yard sack of Lane held

the Indians down.

The Eagles got the ball for only four plays in the first half,

but went on their long drive to open the second quarter.

Jon Eugene picked Lane off on the quarter's first play and

returned it to the Naples 44.

Naples held the ball for 15 plays and had the first real

opportunity to score when Dunford found Jamelle Eugene on a

backside screen pass and Eugene sprinted to the Venice 9. Naples

could get no closer, as Eugene was stopped for a one yard loss,

Dunford missed two straight passes and Tyler Walker missed a

27-yard field goal into a heavy wind.

Venice got a golden opportunity when it recovered the opening

second half kickoff and got the ball on Naples' 41-yard line. The

Indians could do nothing with it and punted in four plays.

Venice's Matt Fira led all rushers with 67 yards on 14

carries.

Marcus Platt added 53 yards. Jamelle Eugene rushed for 38 yards

and Jermaine Washington added 30.

Dunford went 4-of-6 for 61 yards. His two biggest throws came on

the game-winning drive.

He hit Washington for 17 yards on third-and-9 and followed that

with an 8-yard strike to Zach Troutman.

Kramer said the physical nature of the game might have hurt

Venice, who had several players starting on both offense and

defense. The Eagles had none.

"I think speed won out in the end," he said. "They have a few

guys who play both ways and they're going to get tired. That's a

hard thing to do."

The Eagles will host the state semifinals for the second time in

three seasons. The last time, in 2001, Naples won that game and won

the Class 5A state title. They lost at Pompano Beach-Ely in last

season's state semis.

Dunford, a sophomore on that state championship team, said it's

a great feeling to have another chance at it.

"It never gets old," he said. "It just keeps getting better.

This feels awesome."

Naples -- Venice

First downs: 7 -- 11

Rushes- yards: 27-90 -- 39-101

Passing yards: 61 -- 26

Passing-intercep.: 4-6-0 -- 4-10-1

Fumbles-lost: 2-1 -- 0-0

Penalties: 5-45 -- 5-35

Naples: 0 - 0 - 0 - 7 -- 7

Venice: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0

Scoring

N-- Dunford 9 run (Walker kick)

Individual Leaders

Rushing -- Naples: Eugene 11-38, Washington 6-30, Dunford 10-22;

Venice: M. Platt 18-53, Fira 14-67-- Passing -- Naples: Dunford

4-6-0-61; Venice: Lane 4-10-1-26-- Receiving -- Naples: Eugene

2-36, Washington 1-17, Troutman 1-8; Venice: M. Platt 3-14, A.

Platt 1-12--